This invention relates generally to bird feeders, and more particularly to a bird feeder having a central fulcrum and carousel having multiple radially extending rotors, each carrying a bowl feeder station. The carousel turns on the central fulcrum in response to the out of balance weight shift of feeding birds as they move from station to station. In general, devices within the scope of the present invention include bird feeders that rotate freely about a central axis.
It is a major object of this invention to provide an attractive, whimsical, unpredictably sporadic, simple to assemble and use, bird feeding device that rotates in response to the out of balance weight, movement and momentum of feeding birds. Every component of the bird feeder device is custom designed to provide the aforementioned features. The majority of the components shown are molded from a UV resistant plastic and the support can be metal or plastic; however, it is conceivable that the components could be made out of any solid material such as wood, glass, metal, ceramic, cardboard, etc.
The device may be rotatably mounted through the use of a horizontal fulcrum or axle on any stationary object able to support the weight of the device when filled with bird feed and feeding birds. The device may be mounted indoors for the use of domesticated pet birds, or outdoors for wild birds. The vertical structural carousel of the feeder device turns about the horizontal fulcrum or axle, which is securely attached to a supporting structure. A household lubricant may be applied to reduce friction between the horizontal axle and the vertical structural carousel. Furthermore, a bearing may be added between the horizontal axle and the vertical structural carousel to further reduce friction. For example, a bronze oil-impregnated bearing can be pressed into the structural carousel""s central bore during manufacture.
A motor or wind could also drive this device. For example, a series of cogs could be mounted on the backside of the carousel. Alternatively, a rotating axle, pulley, or sheaves may be utilized. For wind drive, it is within the scope of my invention to add a sail to the roof or side of each unit. A sail having the configuration of a pinwheel would allow the feeder device to rotate when facing oncoming wind.
The diameter of the vertical structural carousel is rather small in relation to the entire feeder device, yet its perimeter provides sufficient surface area for the placement of multiple large, long length, radial-extending rotors. The vertical carousel, although plastic, is structurally designed to handle varying loads applied through the rotors due to the suspending, pulling, twisting, and turning forces encountered from environmental conditions as well as the birds and the feed in the feeder stations. The overall sweeping curved shape of the rotors not only provides intrinsic value but further, provides greatly enhanced structural support to counter act all foreseeable forces encountered, i.e.; suspending, pulling, twisting, and turning forces from environmental conditions, the birds, and the feed in the feed receptacles of the feeder stations. The long length of the rotors embellishes and enhances the movement induced to the invention by the loads and forces transmitted by the landing, perching and flying off of the birds.
The radial extending rotors each attach at their arcuate ends to complementary arcuate pockets on the structural carousel. Each of the radial extending rotors terminates with a distal end, which integrally contain an apertured support area. The aperture of each distal end is of a size and shape compatible to receive and co-axially support a corresponding laterally extending axle snap pin on each feed receptacle which is a component of each feeder station.
Each feed receptacle may be self-supporting and self-retaining by the use of an attached integral axle snap pin. The axle snap pin of each feed receptacle is bifurcated defining a longitudinally extending slot which allow the leading. protruding snaps to inwardly spring to provide a bypass snap fit engagement of the apertured distal end of each rotor. The axle snap pin may be further provided with a radial flange to prevent inadvertent removal of the feed receptacle from the rotor aperture, once snap fit in place. Once again, a household lubricant may be applied to reduce the friction between the axle snap pin and the apertured support at the distal rotor end.
The feed receptacles are each provided with a cavity that may be of any shape. However, a generally rectangular shape is preferred with a rolled edge perimeter perch, designed to allow facile landing and perching of the feeding birds. The bottom surfaces of the feed receptacle cavities may be provided with small weep holes to allow for drainage of any accumulated moisture and help prevent the spoilage of feed. Each feed receptacle is spatially located lower than the level of its corresponding axle snap pin. Furthermore, the feed receptacle""s xe2x80x9ccenter of gravityxe2x80x9d is also lower relative to the axle snap pin, which keeps each cavity in a generally upright position as it turns or rocks on its own axle snap pin.
Alternatively, the feed receptacles may be provided with a mounting receptacle for receiving a block or any shape of a conglomerate of bird seed and/or any other type of food i.e., suet, lard, peanut butter, cracked corn, insects, meat, etc. It is conceivable that some or all of the feed receptacle cavities may also be filled with water or other fluids to provide drinking or bathing for the birds. In this instance, the weep holes would not be formed.
The individual feed receptacles may be further embellished with roof-like structures and/or decorated sides. A feed receptacle coupled to a roof-like structure forms a feeder station. The feeder stations turn, swing and teeter-totter simply by the out of balance weight, movement and momentum shift of the feeding birds. Again, the xe2x80x9ccenter of gravityxe2x80x9d of each feeder station is sufficiently low relative to the axle snap pin so that each station remains in a generally upright position. The feeder stations turn simultaneously but independently of the vertical structural carousel.
All the components simply slide and or snap together without the need for hand tools. They can be easily disassembled, by reversing the assembly procedure, grasping specific features intended for disassembly and pulling the components apart from each other. Furthermore, the whole device can be tailored to attract specific groups of people that have certain interests; i.e., people from different areas of the country may prefer different styles of architecture, and different races, cultures or religions may want the device embellished with certain shapes, symbols or figures.